Under Our Feet, Not Over Our Heads
by bobissa
Summary: Chuck and Blair have a conversation on a roof during a party in that year Serena is gone. Set pre-sereies. ChuckBlair. One shot.


**Disclaimer:** Not mine.

Under Our Feet, Not Over Our Heads

He'd seen her let go of Nate's arm so carefully and wander off in the opposite direction of most of the party-goers that he suspected his friend hadn't even noticed her absence. But then again, Blair Waldorf was far from invisible and she had been radiating something he couldn't quite put his finger on all night. It wasn't a conscious decision he made when he stopped following her with just his eyes and started trailing behind her through the dim hallway. Most likely she was just finding a bathroom, but for reasons he hadn't quite gotten to yet, he didn't want to let her out of his sight. If he had to have an excuse, he'd call it curiosity.

She had been making the rounds all evening. Laughing at all the right jokes, paying compliments to the right people, and generally looking the part of the ultimate society girl all while clutching a drink and a boy. Nate's arm had not been her very own human life raft amongst an angry sea of unforgiving socialites like so many of her peers date's arms were, but more the perfect jealousy-inducing, one of a kind handbag to go along with her green gown and matching shoes to perfectly complement her long dark hair. He'd thought she'd be fun to watch for a few minutes from his usual dark corner (where else were bad boys to be found?) before finding or paying for other distractions, but she had wound up providing him with his entire night's entertainment as she flitted about the room from group to group like a butterfly flying from flower to garish flower.

Now, as he followed her up too many flights of stairs for this to be a mere stroll, he considered what could possibly make her neglect her duties. After all, she was playing the perfect girlfriend, and the perfect girlfriend didn't leave her boyfriend downstairs to step out into the cool night air looking all the more relieved for it. Yes, his excuse was definitely curiosity, among other things.

"This isn't the bathroom," Chuck called to Blair's back some fifteen feet away. As he made his way to the edge of the building, Blair turned around and leaned against the low wall. His smile tugged at only one corner of his mouth and his hooded eyes made it look more like a leer. Though he expected her to at least return his grin with one of her own, she simply closed her eyes and let out a rough breath.

"Whatever you want, Bass, my answer is no." She was looking him in eye without a hint of that fierce smile she normally wore when they threw words back and forth. This was supposed to be fun, a game, what they always did, but she clearly wasn't having any fun and she wasn't the least bit amused. He watched as she solemnly contemplated the glass in her hand and quickly downed a considerable amount of what smelled like scotch.

"I don't _want_ anything," he said settling himself beside her against the wall.

"You always want something." She rolled her eyes as she said it and pushed lazily at his shoulder. "Now go away. Roof's mine."

"I hate to tell you, but my father owns this building. This roof is, in fact, mine." Chuck wanted to laugh as she turned around and leaned on the ledge with her elbows letting out a surprisingly lady-like huff. Instead, he watched as she ran her finger around the edge of her now empty glass.

His hand was in his jacket and out again in a second. "Drink?" he asked holding out a flask to her. She eyed it and then him for a moment before scowling and grabbing the flask out of his hand to take a swig.

"Fine. Stay. _Whatever_." They looked out into the night and at the skyline for a few moments in silence before Blair passed the flask back to Chuck.

"Nate know the little woman is getting hammered on rooftops these days?" he asked after taking drink. She didn't look at him or answer his question, but gladly took the flask as it was passed back to her.

"I wager there's a lot Nate doesn't know about you." That got a reaction out of her. A smirk flashed across her face for a moment before she turned to him with a little less than murder in her eyes.

"Stay out of it. Nate and I are good."

"A little too good for my taste," he said under his breath.

"What?"

"Good for you, I said." He smiled with only his mouth and she made a face at him right before tipping the flask up and draining it.

"All gone. Sorry," she said innocently handing it back to him. Eyelashes were batted and Chuck could only laugh.

"Fair enough." They smiled at each other and both looked away quickly.

"So Serena is gone for a few months and you step into her party girl role?" If she reacted, it was slight and only an exhalation. "Do us all a favor and don't. I just can't see you in Connecticut doing penance."

"A few cocktails at a boring party is hardly going to lead me down Serena's road to destruction."

"Boring? I've seen you all night. You were in your element in there. Everyone wanted a piece of Blair Waldorf." Her chin lifted and she looked straight ahead. "And scotch on the rocks is not a cocktail."

"Just leave it alone. I'm not _her_!" She paused and looked down. "I'll never be Serena, alright?" she said quietly and he saw a shadow cross her face. It was hard to believe, but she looked almost sad or regretful.

"Why would you want to be?" he practically spat. He realized too late that he was angry. What was worse, he had no good reason why he should be. "What's so great about Serena anyway?"

"She's my friend." She said it so weakly that it just made him angrier.

"A friend who left you without a word and hasn't had the decency to speak to you since!" Chuck was practically yelling, and now Blair was staring at him like she had never seen him before. "Don't pine after her. It's pathetic." And he poured every ounce of contempt he had for Serena into those words and the look of fury she shot back at him almost made him flinch.

"It's beneath you," he added in a low, deliberate voice.

Blair pushed off the wall and turned away from him. God, was she crying? Before he knew what he was doing he walked around her and grabbed her shoulders. He didn't see any tears. If he thought she was going to look down and avoid his eyes while he spoke to her, he was wrong.

Big brown eyes boring into his, he spoke as if his words were gospel. "You don't need her. You never have. You have so much more than she ever will." He removed his hands from her shoulders, but she continued to stare at him. He had to look away.

When he chanced to look at her again, she was still searching his face but her features had softened into a confused half smile. Chuck couldn't help but smile back at her. It wasn't often Blair looked like she had no idea what was happening. He had to savor this. Without thinking, he leaned in and brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes.

"Bass? What are you doing?" She sounded startled, not angry.

"You're better than her." Again, he said it so seriously that all she could do was stare at him. His hand moved again to touch her face, but he pulled it away quickly and took a step back. "If Nate can't see that, then it's his loss."

"Nate? What does he have to do with anything?"

"Nothing." Oh, how he wanted to tell her how very not perfect her boyfriend was, but Nate was his best friend, and it wasn't any of his business. Surely he would come to his senses one day.

"Absolutely nothing." She didn't seem to accept that, but Chuck was already walking past her. He was done with this particular game; the rules were making it impossible to enjoy.

"Hey! Wait!" she called and he turned around to face her as he neared the door. "If you're going back down to the party, at least do me a favor and send up a waiter with some more scotch." She smirked and he couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping his lips.

"Why don't you just come back down with me? I don't want anyone to accuse me of anything nefarious like leaving a drunk girl on a roof." There was a pause and he smiled. "Bad for my reputation." This time she chuckled.

"Chuck, your reputation has been nothing but bad since you came back from boarding school. I don't think I could possibly do anything to damage it now."

He grinned and held out his arm to her. "Ahh, Switzerland. I remember it fondly. I'm sure many of its female residents found me more than memorable."

"You're disgusting." She took his arm and he grinned as they headed through the door. "And you suck at pep talks."

End.


End file.
